Various types of liquid crystal display devices have been conventionally proposed. Particularly recently, there have been proposed various types of liquid crystal display devices aiming at a widened viewing angle, suppressed disclination, reduced burn-in, and the like. For the purpose of widening the viewing angle, an MVA (Multidomain Vertical Alignment) scheme for forming a plurality of domains in one pixel is proposed.
For example, Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2007-249243 (PTD 1) discloses an example of a liquid crystal display device based on the MVA scheme. The MVA liquid crystal display device disclosed in PTD 1 includes a pair of substrates, a plurality of domains formed in one pixel, and domain limitation means for limiting the tilting direction of the liquid crystal molecules in each domain. As domain limitation means, PTD 1 discloses a protrusion and a depression formed on the surface of the substrate, and an electrode formed in the shape of a fishbone and provided in the substrate.
Such domain limitation means is provided, so that the domains are different from each other in terms of the direction in which liquid crystal molecules are tilted in each domain during voltage application. The liquid crystal molecules are tilted in different directions in the domains in this way, thereby allowing improvement in a viewing angle.
The liquid crystal display device disclosed in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2008-197691 (PTD 2) includes a domain formed in one pixel, and a vertical alignment film provided in a portion in contact with a liquid crystal layer. The vertical alignment film is irradiated with ultraviolet (UV) light in an oblique direction, and thereby, subjected to an alignment process. The direction of irradiation of UV light is changed depending on positions, which leads to formation of a plurality of domains. This liquid crystal display device includes a structure having a protruded shape such that liquid crystal molecules are oriented in the alignment limiting direction in each domain during voltage application.